With the warmer weather of spring on our doorsteps, we’re all looking forward to spending more time outdoors – and the first step is to get our yards looking good. A pressure washer is a fantastic piece of equipment for giving decking and siding a thorough cleaning, washing away mildew, dirt and hard-packed grime easily. Here’s a useful guide from our cash for houses team in Fort Worth on how to pressure wash a wooden deck for the best results!
Safety First
Pressure washers are very powerful machines that can strip off paint, damage stonework, and cause damage to your decking as well as injury if they are not used properly. If you’re renting or borrowing a pressure washer, take a few minutes to get to know how the model works and what settings are best.
Never ever point your pressure washer at yourself, another person, child or animal.
Now that you’re aware of how to pressure wash a wooden deck safely, here are some step-by-step instructions.
What Do I Need for Pressure Washing Wooden Decking?
In addition to your pressure washer, you will need:
- The right wand tip – Either a fan tip or rotating tip.
- Biodegradable washing liquid
- Deck stripper or brightener (optional)
Step #1 – Select a Pressure Setting
If you are unsure of the correct pressure setting, start at low pressure and slowly increase the pressure. Ideally, you want the lowest pressure setting that is able to lift the dirt and clean the decking.
If you have a soft wood deck (pine or cedar), you should aim for a 500-600 psi setting.
If you have a hardwood deck (teak, ipe, cumaru or balau), it can handle more pressure, but you should not exceed 1000 psi.
Test your pressure setting on an out-of-the-way section of your deck first, like a stair tread, trying the lowest pressure first and working your way up.
Step #2 – Start Washing from Your House Outwards
Load the soap catchment with some biodegradable or eco-friendly washing liquid, so that the run-off from your deck does not harm your plants or local waterways.
Pressure washing wooden decking is easy when you use the right technique:
- Start on one end of the deck, being sure to close any windows and doors out onto the decking, and keeping pets and children away from the decking area. Start at the section closest to your house and move outward.
- Point the wand down towards the decking, holding it about 12 inches off the surface at an angle away from your body.
- Engage the trigger and use a slow sweeping motion, overlapping the spray to avoid creating streaks. Don’t pivot your arm (this can cause inconsistent distance between the tip and the decking, which causes inconsistent cleaning). Just move your arm back and forth.
Step #3 – Apply a Chemical Stripper or Brightener
If the decking still looks dirty or stained after pressure washing, then you may need to use a chemical stripper (also called a brightener).
- Choose a product for use in a power washer
- Clean out the soap catchment tank and fill with the brightening solution as per manufacturer instructions.
- Apply using the same method you used to clean the deck the first time.
- Rinse thoroughly with clean water.
Keep in mind that these solutions usually rough up the surface of the decking, so you may need to sand and seal the deck once it is dry.
Store-bought chemical stripper solutions should only be used as a last resort as they are toxic to the environment. Be sure to protect your plants with plastic sheeting if you need to use a chemical stripper.
A good alternative to a toxic chemical stripper is a homemade, eco-friendly solution from ½ cup of Oxi-Clean to 2 gallons of warm water. However, you cannot use this in a pressure washer, as any undissolved powder will clog the wand. Here’s what to do:
- Mix up the solution in a bucket. You may need to double up or even truple up for a larger deck.
- Wash the solution onto your deck after you have pressure washed it (while it is still wet).
- Use a soft broom to gently scrub the solution into the decking.
- Let it sit for 10-15 minutes
- Wash it off with plain water using the pressure washer.
Did You Know – Our Cash for Houses Team in Fort Worth Can Sell Your Home in 24 Hours
A beautiful garden and wooden deck is a great showpiece if you are thinking about selling your home in 2021 – but there’s an even better way to sell your home quickly! If you want to sell your home fast, then your best bet is to sell directly to cash home buyers in Fort Worth. We also have plenty of homes for sale if you are looking to buy an investment property.
Our cash for houses Fort Worth team is happy to buy it for a market-related price – sight unseen and no upgrades needed. It’s completely COVID-safe because we don’t need to visit your home for viewings, and you can sell your home in 24 hours. Here’s how our process works:
- You enter your information on our website
- We’ll contact you directly to discuss an offer for your property (you can also get a free property evaluation from our website)
- You can accept or reject the offer
- You can also call us directly on 469-858-0088
You can also download our FREE eBook for more information on how to sell your home in 24 hours.
Our team is compassionate and highly-motivated to offer you the best possible market-related price for your home, so you can sell your home in 24 hours. Not only does this cash go straight into your bank account as soon as the sale goes through, but you also pay zero real estate agent commission. It’s all about making selling your home as fast and as rewarding as possible!
At Shiny Key Properties, our trained consultants have years of experience in helping homeowners to sell quickly. To find out more about our cash for homes Fort Worth service or to speak to our cash home buyers directly, please contact us today and speak to one of our friendly team members.